


In the Witch's Woods

by PenroseByAnyOtherName



Category: Hololive, Virtual Streamer Animated Characters
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, F/F, First Meetings, Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-08
Updated: 2021-01-08
Packaged: 2021-03-18 17:33:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 840
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28621845
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PenroseByAnyOtherName/pseuds/PenroseByAnyOtherName
Summary: Captain Marine Houshou gets lost in the woods while looking for her crew and comes upon a very different kind of witch to the ones she knows.
Relationships: Houshou Marine/Murasaki Shion
Comments: 6
Kudos: 53





	In the Witch's Woods

Witches, as a rule of thumb, were not evil.

Marine Houshou knew that fact better than anyone. She grew up with witches in her crew, skilled and gifted women who commanded respect and mastered their craft. Witches were good, they were her crew, her family, her friends, and she was firm in her knowledge that those who said witches were evil were only uninformed.

All rules, even those of thumb, could have exceptions.

Marine, simple and strong-willed as she was, did not understand exceptions very well. When she came across a witch who was, in every sense of the word, evil, she did not see it so.

“Foolish girl, you wander into my wood bravely,” the witch sneered, voice drawn as she rounded the young woman. Long fingers trailed up strong arms, and wild green eyes looked up at that attractive young face. “Bravely, or perhaps stupidly.”

“Neither, I think,” said Marine with a smile.

“Only those of brave hearts or stupid minds would dare cross a witch.”

“I would not say I came to cross you. Maybe across you,” Marine wondered aloud.

The witch stared at her, confused. “Are you not afraid?”

“Of what?” Marine asked pleasantly, oblivious.

“You are caught in the snares of a witch’s wood, a pretty and tender young thing like you ought to be terrified, or bravely pretending you are not so.”

“Oh, I’m not afraid of witches,” Marine said, smiling at her happily, too eager to be lying.

“You...” the witch trailed off, blinking. “What?”

“I know plenty of witches, and plenty of kinds, I travel with two witches, kind of? Sorceresses, maybe? Witches, I think,” Marine settled on firmly.

“Not all witches are like them,” said the witch, back to trying to circle her menacingly.

“Oh!” Marine squeaked, looking embarrassed. “No, I wasn’t trying to generalise, it’s only that I do know witches, so I know not to be afraid of them.”

“I am a witch to fear.”

Marine furrowed her brow. “You want me to be afraid of you?”

“Yes,” the witch said, exasperated and rolling her eyes. “How much do I have to do to scare you?”

“No, no, if you want me to be afraid I can be afraid,” Marine insisted, putting on a shocked expression and holding her hand over her heart. “I can faint, or run, or, or scream if that’s your thing.”

The witch stared at her, frowning. “What are you doing?”

“I know a necromancer, she likes when people are afraid of her, too, so I’m very good at pretending.”

“You don’t actually find me scary, do you?”

“No, not really, I find you quite pretty, actually, and I find it very hard to be afraid of you.”

“Pretty?”

“Beautiful, even,” Marine confirmed with a nod and a smile. “I like your hair, it’s very shiny.”

The witch blinked. “Are you serious?”

“Very. I may not be afraid of witches, but I know better than to lie to them.”

Folding her arms over her chest, the witch let out a sigh. “I could do plenty of horrible things to you, you know.”

“I do know.”

“I could kill you in a hundred ways, eat your flesh and grind your bones and string your sinew round a tree,” the witch threatened, though still the woman only nodded.

“I do understand that, but so could anyone.”

They stood staring at each other for a long moment, neither budging, before the witch let out a long sigh and shook her head. “You’re free to go.”

“Oh,” Marine whispered. She looked put out. “But I like talking to you.”

“Sorry,” the witch started, holding up her hand. “But are you mad?”

“Mad? No,” Marine said simply.

“I’m a witch.”

“Yes, you said,” Marine agreed, nodding to show she understood.

“I’m evil.”

“I don’t think so,” said Marine.

“I am, I do wicked things, I could kill you, harm you, make you wish all I could do was kill you, why are you just standing there, smiling?”

“You’re very pretty.”

“You really aren’t afraid, are you?”

Marine shook her head, daring to glance at her but ending up smiling all over again. “I’m really not.”

There was a moment of prolonged silence. The witch stood there, sizing up the impressive young woman, who stood with her head up and hands on her hips. She looked like ridiculous, comical even, and she grinned when the witch looked at her.

Finally, the witch spoke again.

“I am Shion, the witch of these woods.”

“I’m Marine, the, um, captain of the sea,” Marine responded eagerly.

Shion seemed to soften, before extending a hand to her. “I could be tricking you.”

“That’s okay,” Marine said as she took her hand. “If you do harm me, you can meet my crew.”

“Oh,” said Shion, finally understanding why it was the woman did not seem bothered. “Yes, I see.”

“I still trust you,” Marine told her simply.

“Then would you walk with me, Marine the captain?”

Marine squeezed her hand. “It would be an honour, Shion.”


End file.
